men of invention and industry-第14节

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interest　and　excitement　as　she　〃screwed〃　her　way　along　the　coast。



The　tiny　vessel　reached　her　destination　in　safety。　　Surely　the

difficulty　of　a　testing　trial；　although　with　a　model　screw；　had

at　length　been　overcome。　　But　no！　　The　paddle　still　possessed　the

ascendency；　and　a　thousand　interestsinvested　capital；　use　and

wont；　and　conservative　instinctsall　stood　in　the　way。



Some　years　beforeindeed；　about　the　time　that　Smith　took　out　his

patentCaptain　Ericsson；　the　Swede；　invented　a　screw　propeller。　

Smith　took　out　his　patent　in　May；　1836；　and　Ericsson　in　the

following　July。　　Ericsson　was　a　born　inventor。　　While　a　boy　in

Sweden；　he　made　saw　mills　and　pumping　engines；　with　tools

invented　by　himself。　　He　learnt　to　draw；　and　his　mechanical

career　began。　　When　only　twelve　years　old；　he　was　appointed　a

cadet　in　the　Swedish　corps　of　mechanical　engineers；　and　in　the

following　year　he　was　put　in　charge　of　a　section　of　the　Gotha

Ship　Canal；　then　under　construction。　　Arrived　at　manhood；

Ericsson　went　over　to　England；　the　great　centre　of　mechanical

industry。　　He　was　then　twenty…three　years　old。　　He　entered　into

partnership　with　John　Braithwaite；　and　with　him　constructed　the

Novelty；　which　took　part　in　the　locomotive　competition　at

Rainhill　on　the　6th　October；　1829。　　The　prize　was　awarded　to

Stephenson's　Rocket　on　the　14th；　but　it　was　acknowledged　by　The

Times　of　the　day　that　the　Novelty　was　Stephenson's　sharpest

competitor。



Ericsson　had　a　wonderfully　inventive　brain；　a　determined　purpose；

and　a　great　capacity　for　work。　　When　a　want　was　felt；　he　was

immediately　ready　with　an　invention。　　The　records　of　the　Patent

Office　show　his　incessant　activity。　　He　invented　pumping　engines；

steam　engines；　fire　engines；　and　caloric　engines。　　His　first

patent　for　a　〃reciprocating　propeller〃　was　taken　out　in　October

1834。　　To　exhibit　its　action；　he　had　a　small　boat　constructed　of

only　about　two　feet　long。　　It　was　propelled　by　means　of　a　screw；

and　was　shown　at　work　in　a　circular　bath　in　London。　　It　performed

its　voyage　round　the　basin　at　the　rate　of　about　three　miles　an

hour。　　His　patent　for　a　〃spiral　propeller；〃　was　taken　out　in　July

1836。　　This　was　the　invention；　to　exhibit　which　he　had　a　vessel

constructed；　of　about　40　feet　long；　with　two　propellers；　each　of

5　feet　3　inches　diameter。



This　boat；　the　Francis　B。　Ogden；　proved　extremely　successful。　

She　moved　at　a　speed　of　about　ten　miles　an　hour。　　She　was　able　to

tow　vessels　of　140　tons　burthen　at　the　rate　of　seven　miles　an

hour。　　Perceiving　the　peculiar　and　admirable　fitness　of　the

screw…propeller　for　ships　of　war；　Ericsson　invited　the　Lords　of

the　Admiralty　to　take　an　excursion　in　tow　of　his　experimental

boat。　　〃My　Lords〃　consented；　and　the　Admiralty　barge　contained　on

this　occasion；　Sir　Charles　Adam；　senior　Lord；　Sir　William

Symonds；　surveyor；　Sir　Edward　Parry；　of　Polar　fame；　Captain

Beaufort；　hydrographer；　and　other　men　of　celebrity。　　This

distinguished　company　embarked　at　Somerset　House；　and　the　little

steamer；　with　her　precious　charge；　proceeded　down　the　river　to

Limehouse　at　the　rate　of　about　ten　miles　an　hour。　　After　visiting

the　steam…engine　manufactory　of　Messrs。　Seawood；　where　their

Lordships'　favourite　apparatus；　the　Morgan　paddle…wheel；　was　in

course　of　construction；　they　re…embarked；　and　returned　in　safety

to　Somerset　House。



The　experiment　was　perfectly　successful；　and　yet　the　result　was

disappointment。　　A　few　days　later；　a　letter　from　Captain　Beaufort

informed　Mr。　Ericsson　that　their　Lordships　had　certainly　been

〃very　much　disappointed　with　the　result　of　the　experiment。〃　　The

reason　for　the　disappointment　was　altogether　inexplicable　to　the

inventor。　　It　afterwards　appeared；　however；　that　Sir　William

Symonds；　then　Surveyor　to　the　Navy；　had　expressed　the　opinion

that　〃even　if　the　propeller　had　the　power　of　propelling　a　vessel；

it　would　be　found　altogether　useless　in　practice；　because　the

power　being　applied　at　the　stern；　it　would　be　absolutely

impossible　to　make　the　vessel　steer！〃　　It　will　be　remembered　that

Francis　Pettit　Smith's　screw　vessel　went　to　sea　in　the　course　of

the　same　year；　and　not　only　faced　the　waves；　but　was　made　to

steer　in　a　perfectly　successful　manner。



Although　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　would　not　further　encourage

the　screw　propeller　of　Ericsson；　an　officer　of　the　United　States

Navy；　Capt。　R。　F。　Stockton；　was　so　satisfied　of　its　success；　that

after　making　a　single　trip　in　the　experimental　steamboat　from

London　Bridge　to　Greenwich；　he　ordered　the　inventor　to　build　for

him　forthwith　two　iron　boats　for　the　United　States；　with　steam

machinery　and　a　propeller　on　the　same　plan。　　One　of　these

vesselsthe　Robert　F。　Stocktonseventy　feet　in　length；　was

constructed　by　Laird　and　Co。；　of　Birkenhead；　in　1838；　and　left

England　for　America　in　April　1839。　　Capt。　Stockton　so　fully

persuaded　Ericsson　of　his　probable　success　in　America；　that　the

inventor　at　once　abandoned　his　professional　engagements　in

England；　and　set　out　for　the　United　States。　　It　is　unnecessary　to

mention　the　further　important　works　of　this　great　engineer。



We　may；　however；　briefly　mention　that　in　1844；　Ericsson

constructed　for　the　United　States　Government　the　Princeton　screw

steamerthough　he　was　never　paid　for　his　time；　labour；　and

expenditure。＇6＇　　Undeterred　by　their　ingratitude；　Ericsson

nevertheless　constructed　for　the　same　government；　when　in　the

throes　of　civil　war；　the　famous　Monitor；　the　iron…clad　cupola

vessel；　and　was　similarly　rewarded！　　He　afterwards　invented　the

torpedo　shipthe　Destroyerthe　use　of　which　has　fortunately　not

yet　been　required　in　sea　warfare。　　Ericsson　still

livesconstantly　planning　and　schemingin　his　house　in　Beach

Street；　New　York。　　He　is　now　over　eighty　years　old　having　been

born　in　1803。　　He　is　strong　and　healthy。　　How　has　he　preserved

his　vigorous　constitution？　　The　editor　of　Scribner　gives　the

answer：　〃The　hall　windows　of　his　house　are　open；　winter　and

summer；　and　none　but　open　grate…fires　are　allowed。　　Insomnia

never　troubles　him；　for　he　falls　asleep　as　soon　as　his　head

touches　the　pillow。　　His　appetite　and　digestion　are　always　good；

and　he　has　not　lost　a　meal　in　ten　years。　　What　an　example　to　the

men　who　imagine　it　is　hard　work　that　is　killing　them　in　this

career　of　unremitting　industry！〃



To　return　to　〃Screw〃　Smith；　after　the　successful　trial　of　his

little　vessel　at　sea　in　the　autumn　of　1837。　　He　had　many

difficulties　yet　to　contend　with。　　There　was；　first；　the

difficulty　of　a　new　invention；　and　the　fact　that　the　paddle…boat

had　established　itself　in　public　estimation。　　The　engineering　and

shipbuilding　world　were　dead　against　him。　　They　regarded　the

project　of　propelling　a　vessel　by　means　of　a　screw　as　visionary

and　preposterous。　　There　was　also　the　official　unwillingness　to

undertake　anything　novel；　untried；　and　contrary　to　routine。　

There　was　the　usual　shaking　of　the　head　and　the　shrugging　of　the

shoulders；　as　if　the　inventor　were　either　a　mere　dreamer　or　a

projector　eager　to　lay　his　hands　upon　the　public　purse。　　The

surveyor　of　the　navy　was　opposed　to　the　plan；　because　of　the

impossibility　of　making　a　vessel　steer　which　was　impelled　from

the　stern。　　〃Screw〃　Smith　bided　his　time；　he　continued　undaunted；

and　was　determined　to　succeed。　　He　laboured　steadily　onward；

maintaining　his　own　faith　unshaken；　and　upholding　the　faith　of

the　gentlemen　who　had　become　associated　with　him　in　the

prosecution　of　the　invention。



At　the　beginning　of　1838　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　requested　Mr。

Smith　to　allow　his　vessel　to　be　tried　under　their　inspection。　

Two　trials　were　accordingly　made；　and　they　gave　so　much

satisfaction　that　the　adoption　of　the　propeller　for　naval

purposes　was　considered　as　a　not　improbable　contingency。　　Before

deciding　finally　upon　its　adoption；　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty

were　anxious　to　see　an　experiment　made　with　a　vessel　of　not　less

than　200　tons。　　Mr。　Smith　had　not　the　means　of　accomplishing　this

by　himself；　but　with　the　improved　prospects　of　the　invention；　

capitalists　now　came　to　his　aid。　　One　of　the　most　effective　and

energetic　of　these　was　Mr。　Henry　Currie；　banker；　and；　with　the

assistance　of　others；　the　〃Ship　Propeller　Company〃　was　formed；

and　proceeded　to　erect　the　test　ship　proposed　by　the　Admiralty。



The　result　was　the　Archimedes；　a　wooden　vessel　of　237　tons

burthen。　　She　was　designed　by　Mr。　Pasco；　laid　down　by　Mr。

Wimshurst　in　the　spring　of　1838；　was　launched　on　the　18th　of

October　following；　and　made　her　first　trip　in　May　1839。　　She　was

fitted　with　a　screw　of　one　turn　placed　in　the　dead　wood；　and

propelled　by　a　pair　of　engines　of　80…horse　power。　　The　vessel　was

built　under　the　persuasion　that　her　performance　would　be

considered　satisfactory　if　a　speed　was　attained　of　four　or　five

knots　an　hour；　where　as　her　actual　speed　was　nine　and　a　half

knots。　　The　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　were　invited　to　inspect　the

ship。　　At　the　secon